1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage system that connects a storage device, such as, for example, a disk array subsystem, and a host computer via a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data management systems, which handle large volumes of data, such as, for example, those used by local governments, corporations, and so forth, for example, manage data by using a storage subsystem such as a disk array device. A disk array device is formed by arranging a multiplicity of disks in the form of an array, and is constructed based on, for example, a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Inexpensive Disks) scheme. In a disk array device, a logical volume (LU) constituting a logical storage region can be constructed on a physical disk. The disk array device provides a host computer such as an application server with a logical volume.
The host computer and disk array device are connected via a communication network such as a SAN (Storage Area Network), for example. Each host computer connected to the SAN is capable of reading and writing data by accessing a self-allocated logical volume (or a logical volume for which the host computer has access rights) among the logical volumes included in the disk array device.
A technology that provides a SAN with a management server; connects each host computer, storage device, and so forth, to a management server by means of a LAN (Local Area Network); and performs integrated control is also known (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-63063).
A data group used by the host computer that is executing a variety of tasks must be backed up at regular or irregular intervals. The volume content of the host computer (task server) providing a client with task services is copied to a host computer (backup server) that performs backup processing. Further, the volume content that is copied to the backup server is backed up to a backup device such as, for example, a tape device.
For example, when a task server volume is backed up, each logical volume is allocated to a task server and backup server, and a copy pair consisting of a primary volume, which is to be the copy source, and a secondary volume, which is to be the copy destination, is established. Volume copying is then executed when the opportunity arises.
Therefore, the storage system must be reconfigured in accordance with occasional backup requests. However, even when a management server is provided, the labor involved in setting and changing storage configuration information via a network is complicated and time-consuming. When, for example, a storage administrator reconfigures a storage system and so forth, the reconfiguration must be reported by telephone, email, or the like, to the administrator of each host computer sharing the storage. Furthermore, because configuration information held by each host computer must also be changed in accordance with the reconfiguration to the storage system, an administrator who is to perform management work for each host computer is then required. Therefore, when setting adjustments are to be made to the storage configuration information, the storage administrator must contact the administrators of all the host computers involved and the administrator of each host computer must then perform the complex and time-consuming work of setting and changing storage configuration information.